Chain Stories Exhibition -Catherine Cornelius

Location: John H. Milde Gallery, 13999 Goldmark Drive, Dallas, Texas

Artist Statement Chain Stories

I became preoccupied with chains a few years ago as a metaphor for constraint and restriction. In Chain StoriesI I continue to regard them in a broader sense, not just in terms of confinement, but also as a means of attachment, support, adornment… connections made. In most works the chain motif is obvious. A few pieces refer to psychological/emotional/non visible connections. The links are implied, but surely as strong.

Through portraiture and narrative I am looking at relationships and states of being, lessons learned and their impact on the self. Images are bound in frames or strung out as wall jewelry, or a combination of the two. Chain swags create dialogs about separation and attachment, or become wall necklaces with their own tales to tell. Free standing vessels, sewn and sutured, allow glimpses of interior, insular selves, safe and protected in hard shells. Placement and pedestals complete the story.

I hope to provoke or inspire the viewer to examine their own inner self and the chains in their life. Enjoy!

Artist Biography

Catherine Cornelius was born in Louisiana and spent her childhood in North Carolina and Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Moving to Dallas, Texas in 1979 she worked in the corporate world until retiring in 2016. She began studying and making art in 1991 in a variety of disciplines, but ultimately focused on ceramics.

Catherine’s art education includes Brookhaven College, the Craft Guild of Dallas, and Penland School of Crafts. Her passion for the arts lead her to establish Gallery 2520 in Dallas (2001-2006), a gallery conceived to offer emerging artists an affordable exhibition venue.

Catherine has served as a board member for the Texas Clay Arts Association and the Dallas Contemporary. Her work is exhibited and sold in Texas and North Carolina. She lives in Boone, North Carolina.